Learn about Fair Calgary Community Voices Website

Fair Fares is an advocacy group that focuses on keeping public transit affordable. 

Fair Fares is also part of a larger group called "Fair Calgary Community Voices." 

Fair Calgary Communityexpanded its vision to "Great transit for all" based on the principles for public transit to be affordable, accessible, connected, and convenient. 

To learn more about Fair Calgary Community Voices, visit   https://fairfaresyyc.wixsite.com/transit4all

Fair Fares wishes to keep this site active for people to learn the history of Fair Fares and how the sliding scale and low-income transit pass work came to be. 

For the latest information about the low-income transit pass, Calgary Transit does a great job updating how to get the pass-through Fair Entry and where to buy it. 

Visit this link 

https://www.calgarytransit.com/content/transit/en/home/fares---passes/passes/low-income-monthly-pass.html

Increases to Calgary's sliding scale fares beyond 2020 to fix $6.5 million funding gap

The Alberta government has renewed the $4.5 million partnership agreement to continue funding the sliding scale for the next four years. 

However, Calgary Transit report says the sliding scale still has a $6.5 million funding gap.  City administration suggests increases to sliding scale fares:  

↑ Band A to go from $5.30 to $18.55 (250% increase)

↑ Band B to go from $36.05 to $43.60

↑ Band C to go from $51.50 to $59.95

Proposed Transit Pass Fare Increases for 2020 for
YYC Budget Talks Beginning November 25, 2019

If you are concerned about these increases we encourage you to share this with your City Councillor. The proposed budget changes may be released next week.

City Council begins budget debates on Monday, November 25th.

Link to report for Calgary's long term funding plan

Update on transit summit and sliding scale efforts for Calgary beyond 2019

Transit Summit: 

More than 60 people share their concerns, ideas, and feedback on how we can make "Public Transit"  great in Calgary that is connected, accessible, affordable and convenient.  

As promised to share the raw data from the conversation.

16-page document set in PDF format 

If you have difficulties accessing it, please let us know. 

Provincial Agreement Renewed: 

The Province renewed a 4.5 million operational agreement with the City of Calgary for the next 4 years. Provincial Announcement that the 4-year agreement has been renewed October 22^nd, 2019.

Additional Updates, speaking with standing policy committee: 

There remains a 6.5 million shortfall to keep the sliding going in Calgary. 

Many people spoke to the report requested by the Council on how the City can help keep affordable fares within the sliding scale sustainable. 

The report was presented on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019 to the Standing Policy Committee called "Transit and Transportation."

We wish to express our gratitude for sharing letters of support and for those who had the time to attend the committee meeting. 

If interested, here are the October 23rd, minutes from the Standing Policy Committee (SPC) on Transit and Transportation (T&T).

The next steps are these recommendations still need to be approved by the entire City Council at a later date. 

 Minutes for Standing Policy for Transit and Transportation October 23rd, 2019.

Next Steps, Municipal Budget for 2020 and beyond:

1. Mayor Nenshi responds to the Alberta Budget and how the decreasing/delaying provincial funding impacts Calgarians ttps://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/funding-for-cities-takes-a-significant-hit-in-first-ucp-budget  

The Mayor also highlights the impact on capital projects and operations like the green line. "The city had been expecting $555 million for the Green Line over the next four years. Thursday, the province announced the city will be receiving just $75 million. The remainder of the $1.53 billion will come in future years, the province said." 

  

2. We will be busy preparing for the Council budget which is tentatively scheduled for public input on Monday, November 25th, 2019. 

Have your say Wednesday Oct 23rd on the Sliding Scale Long-Term Funding Report

Calgary Transit was asked by City Council to explore different funding options to keep the sliding-scale going beyond 2019. 

To read the entire report, begin on page 29 of the TT2019-1044 item 7.2

Join us

 

Wednesday, October 23rd 

Beginning at 9:30 am 

City Hall Council Chamber 

(located in the Municipal Building)

800 McLeod Trail SE

Sliding scale report for long term funding being reviewed Wednesday, October 23rd by Calgary City Council

 

Save the Date for Calgary's Transit Summit

Join us for Transit Summit 10 till 2 pm

Transit Summit at CNIB from Thursday, September 26th, 2019 10-11 A Street NE. 

Tickets are on Eventbrite. https://public-transit-in-calgary-september-26-2019.eventbrite.ca

This will be a public opportunity to unite our stories about the positive impacts of affordable transit and the environmental and health benefits of a transit orientated city. 

Please visit the Eventbrite for further information.  

On November 26 - Ask our City Council to fund Sliding Scale for 2019

Fair Fares postcard survey's
Top 3 Reasons People
Use the Low-Income Transit Pass

On November 26th City Council will hear submissions from the public on a number of budget related issues, including a $6 million funding request from Calgary Transit to fund the Low Income Transit Pass for 2019. This funding is required to maintain the current fare structure of the Sliding Scale 


With the introduction of the Sliding Scale, the Low-Income Transit pass has surpassed all expectations of monthly pass sales, far exceeding the previous “one price” monthly pass. The program has doubled in size in the past two years. 


Results form City of Calgary survey of customers in the fall of 2017 showed that a more affordable monthly pass shows: 

• Increases the ability of people living in poverty to visit family and friends, thereby creating and maintaining strong relationships and decreasing social isolation and loneliness. 
• Allows people living in extreme poverty to become more mobile and increase participation in the community. 
• Maintains physical health by allowing people to get to medical and professional appointments and go to recreational programs. 
• Allows people to access employment, puts more money in people’s pockets and enables them to purchase other necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, school supplies etc. 

Other important benefits of the Sliding Scale include: 

• All members of the family are able to purchase a pass enabling them to travel together. 
• A recent study states transit tickets are the most common bylaw fine and an upstream approach is needed to reduce the number of people entering the justice system due to fare evasion fines. 
• Creates a more equitable and inclusive city and a community of engaged citizens. 
• Helps to alleviate stress and create an improved quality of life for people in poverty. 
• Contributes to long term goals of carbon reduction. 
• We are asking organizations to: 
• Send out the attached ”Call To Action” to the people you serve and your other contacts. If possible organizations can also assist their clients to write their letters of support. 
• Consider writing a letter to City Council from your organization in support of the Sliding Scale and send a copy to faircalgaryvoice@gmail.com. 
• Come to City Council on November 26th to speak or just to be in the audience. 

Contact information for your City Councillor is found at: 
http://www.calgary.ca/citycouncil/Pages/citycouncil.aspx 

*Sample letter of support can be downloaded here

*Call to Action can be downloaded here



Thank you for supporting affordable transportation in Calgary. 


Fair Calgary Community Voices 
faircalgaryvoice@gmail.com

Fair Calgary Community Voices is a group of organizations, community advocates and people experiencing poverty. We work with the City of Calgary to advocate for accessible and affordable low-income subsidy programs

New Website Transit for All

The City of Calgary is now planning its 4-year budget called "One Calgary" and we need the province to be on board beyond 2019. 

We created a "Transit 4 All" site check it out. 

Facebook: Fair Fares YYC
Twitter: @Calgaryfares
New Website: "Transit 4 All " Transit 4 All
Instagram: Fair_FaresYYC 

Proud our City continues the commitment for affordable transit... how about Alberta?

We are proud our City has led the way for many municipalities to take a closer look at what is an affordable fare. 
Affordable fares in Calgary mean ability to pay, in Calgary we call it the sliding scale. 

We believe operational funding of transit is a cost-shared responsibility of all three levels of government.
We are crossing our fingers our province sees the benefits and renews its commitment to help Albertans address social isolation and access community. 

Sliding Scale Call to Action for November 27th, 2017

On November 27th, share with Calgary City Council why affordable transit matters...

This November 27th help us share why affordable transit matters to Calgarians

Here are three things you can do...

  1.  Download the 'Affordable Transit Makes it Possible for Me to...' colouring page. 

As you can see, it is quite a simple design that allows people to share their story.  Tell us how your life has been affected by the sliding scale other than just writing a letter. On the back side of the page, there is a list of other things you can do. 

  2.  Share your thoughts with City Council in a letter or call 311 

Check out the key messages that people can use when talking about the sliding scale with others or with council members.

  3.  Learn more about the sliding scale. 

Check out the 'Call to Action' It will tell the history of the sliding scale and ways that people can help. 

Congrats to Calgary Transit!

Fair Fares wishes to congratulate Calgary Transit for its A+ grade as one of the best transit systems in Canada.  

Congrats Calgary Transit (link to the article) 

Since the introduction of the sliding scale enabling Calgarians living in extreme poverty, we are pleased to see transit experts rating our City as one of the best and we agree! 

The article talks about how Calgary improved in areas of "Operating Cost Per Service Hour and Passenger Trip Intensity"  both improving from a B to A grade, as well as "Calgary is currently the region with the lowest operating cost per service hour at $152.89, in contrast to Metro Vancouver topping the list at $186.29, followed by Greater Toronto and Hamilton and Greater Montreal’s operating cost service hours of $178.61 and $180.2, respectively." 


Lets hope the sliding scale model will be a trend for more Cities in Canada who make it a priority to ensure Citizens can afford to ride! 

Way to go!